Effects of oral propranolol or atenolol administration on intraocular pressure in clinically normal dogs

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of oral propranolol or atenolol on intraocular pressure (IOP) in clinically normal dogs. Ten clinically normal dogs with no evidence of ocular disease were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Pretreatment IOPs (T0) were obtained 1 day prior to starting oral propranolol or atenolol in both groups, respectively. Five dogs received oral propranolol (1 mg/kg, q12h) for 2 weeks, while dogs in the other group received oral atenolol (1 mg/kg, q12h) in the same treatment period. Once-a-day measurements of IOP (10:00 AM) were recorded on days 1 (T1), 3 (T3), 5 (T5), 7 (T7), and 14 (T14) in both treatment groups. IOP in dogs, measured by applanation tonometry, was not significantly different between treatment groups throughout the study. In conclusions, orally administered β-adrenergic blocking agents such as propranolol or atenolol have no significant effect on IOP values in clinically normal dogs over a 2-week duration.